Why in News?
The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha recently.
What does the bill seek to do?
- The Bill seeks to amend the Arms Act, 1959 by reducing the number of firearms allowed per person from the current three to one.
- It also proposes new categories of offences and an increase in the penalty for certain offences.
- Since the Bill was introduced, the Punjab government and groups in Rajasthan have opposed it.
Why are people in Punjab unhappy?
- In Punjab, protesters include individuals who own more than one weapon (includes businessmen, former Army personnel and farmers).
- The Punjab government’s position is that over 50% of the state’s farmers stay in remote villages and need arms to protect themselves.
- Villagers close to the Pakistan border are also insecure about infiltrators.
- Some Punjab residents still keep the guns they had acquired during the days of militancy in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Many residents inherited vintage weapons from their ancestors, which they do not want to part with.
- CM’s stand - Chief Minister has said the state doesn’t have a problem with any other provisions of the Act, but with the limit on firearm possession.
- He has written to the Centre urging it not to reduce the number “in view of the sensitive location and troubled history of the state”.
Who are protesting in Rajasthan?
- Rajput community - The members of the Rajput community have opposed the proposed amendments.
- They have antique guns as family heirlooms and worship weapons.
- So, they think that the new amendment bill if passed will rob them of their treasured possessions.
- Outfits - The outfits such as the Karni Sena have threatened to protest if a person is not allowed to keep more than one firearm.
- According to Additional Director General of Crime (Rajasthan), at present there are 1.72 lakh gun licences issued in Rajasthan.
- Around 10% of these licence holders are people with multiple weapons.
- Mainly such people are president who owns ancestral weapons, are in the sport of shooting, or personnel from the armed forces.
What is the government stand?
- It maintains the move will help reduce firearms-related crime.
- According to National Crime Record Bureau’s 2016 report,
- In Punjab, 48 were murdered by use of firearms, out of which 22 were licensed firearms and 26 were illegal.
- In Rajasthan, 23 victims were murdered by use of firearms and all murders were committed using illegal weapons.
- The latest NCRB report for 2017 does not give a breakdown of murder using firearms.
Source: The Indian Express
